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Blepharitis

Overview

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Symptoms of blepharitis include sore eyelids, itchy eyes, a gritty feeling in the eyes, and flakes or crusts around the eyelashes.

Blepharitis can usually be treated by cleaning your eyelids twice a day to start with and then once a day as your symptoms improve.

If cleaning your eyelids does not clear your blepharitis, a GP may prescribe antibiotic treatments, such as creams, ointments, eyedrops or tablets.

Blepharitis can be caused by bacteria on your skin, a skin condition like seborrhoeic dermatitis, or the glands in the eyelids not working properly.

Blepharitis causes swollen, itchy eyelids. It’s not usually serious and can often be treated by washing your eyelids every day.

Page last reviewed: 08/02/2022
Next review due: 08/02/2025